End shield fob



June 19,1923.

1,459,321 w. G. cox

END SHIELD FOR MOTOR VEHICLES Filed March 21. 1923 2 She ets-Sheet 1 Liv Trim

3 1a (3 J W5: Bax.

Svweuhoz mjmumm Toallwhomitmwy 1,459,321 PATENT OFFICE;

WILLIAM G. cox, or crnvanann, onio.

END SHIELD FOB MOTOR VEHICLES.

Application filed larch 21, 1928. Serial No. 826,505.

, conoem: Be it known that I, WILLIAM G. Cox, a

.citizen of the United States, residing at Cleveland, in the county of Cuyahoga and State of Ohio, have invented oerta1n new and useful Improvements in End Sh elds H for Motor Vehicles, of which the following is a specification.

The present improvement in an end shield for a motor vehicle, resides in the novel assemblage and construction of parts herein .shown and described and more concisely pointed out in the claims, whereb a substantial area of protecting and bu n sur face is obtained by the use of paralle bars and a substantial cushioning and shock-absorbing efi'ect may be realized by the employment of spring yokes of substantially elliptical or elongated bow-shaped form having ofi'set ends adapted to provide separate seating junctions and places of. union at different elevations for the separatebars.

.As exemplified herein, the bufier bars and.

elliptical 'yokes are clamped separably toget er by independent clamping devices which permit the yokes to he s aced apart different distances longitudina 1y of the bars for attachment to motor-vehicle frames of different widths, and the yokes are also adapted to be clamped adjustably in suitable clamping brackets 'orextensions afiixed to or formlng part of the motonvehicle frame.

In the accompanyingdrayvings, Fig. 1 is a perspective view of the rear end of a motor vehicle having one of my improved end shields mounted thereon, and Fi 2 is a top view of the same vehicle and s ield. Fig. 3 is a rear view of the vehicle showing the yokes in place thereon but with the parallel bars removed. Fig. 4 is an enlarged side elevation of a part of the vehicle frame and a vertical cross section on line 4-4 of Pi 2 of the bars and one of the yokes at their juncture where clamped together. Figs. 5 and 6 are perspeetive.views of a pair of complementary clamping plates for each yoke and the bars. igs. 7 and 8 are rear and top views, respectively, of a preferred form of elliptical yoke.

In detail the invention comprises a pair of bars or rails 2 and 3, respectively, which may be made either of metal or wood. Flat and relatively thin spring bar metal is preferably used, but rods or bars of any desired cross-section or shape may be cmfront or rear end, as the case ma ployed instead. I also refer to use two bars of equal length and to curve the oposite ends of the bars rearwardly but this IS optional and a matter of design, and the extreme ends of the bars may be rounded as shown or formed in any suitable way to avoid sharp or pointed edges. The length of the bars is substantially equal to the Width of the motor-vehicle to be protected, and the bars are superposed edge to edge in spaced parallel relation to place their rear and front fiat sides in the same vertical planes and thereby provide a substantial area of bufling and protecting surface opposite the end of the motor-vehictlle, either The two bars are rigidly unlted in the aforesaid relation by a pair of yoke membets 4 and 5 of corresponding shape and construction. Thus, each yoke is made of a flat spring bar of metal bent into a substantially elli tical form, and the free ends or arms of t e bar are oflset vertically at 6 a short distance back from their extremities to provide two straight horizontal planes, with their front fiat surfaces in the same vertical plane, and the extremity of each part 7 and 8 is bent rearwardl at right angles to rovide a short straig t vertically-exten ing lip 7' and 8', respectively. These lips are thus spaced apart and co-act to align and hold a straight-edged clampin piece 9 between them when the two ends and 8 are clamped jointly against the rear sides of the two bars 2 and 3, respectivel Such clamping is effected by a single bolt 10 passing through a square opening 11 in a vertically-disposed clamping late 12 spannin the gap between said arsand engaged with the front sides of the bars and aving rearwardly-extendin flanges 13-43 at its top and bottom over apping the top and bottom edges of the bars 2 and 3 respectively, the said flanges being also long enough to overlap the corresponding edges of the yoke ends or arms 7 and 8, respectively, (see Fig. 4) thereby squarely al1gning the clamping plate 12 and the yoke ends with the arallel bars. Bolt 10 has a square/ "0 through a round opening 14 centrally within the rear clamping piece 9 which is bulged or swelled rearwardly between its ends to provide a raised seat for the lock washer and nut 15 for the bolt and also to permit the extremities of clamping piece 9to seat solidly with spring action against the rear flat sides oi the yoke arms 7 and 8. Rear clampin piece 9 is also formed with a pair of an ularly-beltt locking fin are 16 at its side ed es opposite the centre bolt opening 14, and these fingers extend into the space between t e yoke arms 7 and 8 and also the space bet seen the parallel bars 2 and 3, thereby fixing the bars and yoke arms in definitely spaced and aligned relation and also preventing the rear clamping piece 9 from turning rom its vertical position relatively to the yoke and bars in the event nut 15 should loosen.

It is in this Way that each elliptical yoke is held in horizontal alignment with the buffer bars and the two bars rigidly yoked together in spaced relation, and the union between the yokes and bars is a frictionally clamping one which ermits the yokes when unclamped to be shifted longitudinally in respect to each other and the opposite ends of the bars so that the yokes may be placed nearer together or farther apart as the re quirements for attachment to anv motor vehicle may demand. This is of advantage in attaching similar shields to the opposite ends of the chassis frames of many 'motorvehicles in general use, uch For example as are Widerat their rear onds than at their front ends. and where the "adjustable yoke arrangement described will permit convenient setting' and attachment of the yoke to the side members of the frame at either end. rittachment to the vehicle frame may be made in a variety ol ways. and one mode of attachment is shown in Figs. 1 and 4. wherein a clamping arm or bracket i7 is bolted lo the slanting rurved frame end 18, and the rear cross connecting part 19 of lhe yoke is rigidly secured within the clamping rnd i l of the bracket. The cross connecting part 19'0f the yoke may he either slraight as shown in lig. 2, or curved or bowed as dolineated in Fig. 8 and the divided front part of the yoke may also be straight or (-urvrd but preferably curved or bowed to enhance the spring action and resiliency ol' the yokr,

What I claim, is:

1. An end shield for a motor vrhirlr, ('(llllprising horizontal butler bars. and spring yokes having overlapping ends united with said bars.

2. An and shield for a motor vehicle, romprising horizontal butter bars, and a pair of spt'in supporting yokes for said bars, each yoke avmg free ends spread apart vcrti rally and connected to separate bars.

3. An and shield for a motor vehicle, OUllli prisinp horizontal buffer bars, horizontallyexteiu mg yokes having their opposite ends ofl'set vertically and engaged with separate bars, and clamping devices uniting said bars and the free ends of the yokes together.

4. An and shield for a motor vehicle, com prising a pair of horizontal butler bars, ellip tical spring yokes havin vertically overlapped ends engaging said bars, and clamping devices uniting the ends of each yoke and said bars together.

5. An end shield for a motor vehicle, comprising a pair of parallel bufier bars, a pair of elliptical yokes having separated ends in difl'ercnt horizontal planes ein aging said bars, and vertirally-disposed clamping devices connecting the separated ends of said yokes and said liars together.

6. An end shield for a motor vehicle, comprising a pair of parallel bufi'er bars, a pair of spririg-supporting members for said bars having reverted overlapping ends lying in different horizontal planes, and means uniting, said bars to the ends of said members.

7. An end shield for a motor vehicle, romprising a pair ol resilient bow-shaped members each having Free ends in the same vcrtir-al plane extending in opposite directions beyond each other in difi'crent horizontal planes. a pair of butter bars horizontally arranged one above the other opposite the respective ends of said supporting members. and clamping devirw connecting said bars and the respective ends of each supporting member together.

t-l. An end shield tor a motor vehicle, com prising a pair of buffer bars. a pair of sup porting liars having reverted bowed cud portions ovrrlapping each other edgewisw adaptrll to support said bnii'ur bars parallvll v one bove the other in the sameverth-al plane. and clamping couplings for said bal's and end portions.

.l. .\n cud shield lor-a motor vrhiclr, i'oniprising a pair l llll\\' :-lllil})l3ll members each having oppositoly-oxtonding overlapping ouds lying in different horizontal planes and terminating in angular lips, parallel bull'rr bars engaged with rorrcspolnling ends of said bow-shaped members, and opposed clamping plates vugngiug said liars andrnds vertically between the lips on said overlapping rnds.

ll). i\n cud shii-ld for a motor vehicle. romprising r ll l huti'rr bars. separated supporting arms engaging said bars in places vi'rtii'ully opposite each other, a clamping plate spanning the front sides of said butler bars, a clamping piece spanning the rear sidrs of said arms having fingers projecting forwardly between said arms, and a clamp ing bolt For said clamping plate and piece.

ll. A spring supporting yoke for a parallel bar shield for a motor vehicle, monsisting of a flat metal bar having its opposite ends bent reverseiy toward each other, said bar being offset venioally atits ends to permit the opposite ends to lie in the same vertical p is and provide SLPQIZKO seats at iliflervnt s eie'vations for said paraiiei bars,

12. A spring sup )ortiiig member for a motor vehicle shie i mnbodying parallel buffer bars, consisting of a metal bar bent into the form of a yoke having a horizontal 16 rear Connecting" portion and separated hereto.

WILLIAM (i. COX.

' "itness:

Dono rny M. Mosmn 

